Hill 881 -- May 1967

Navy corpsman Dave Boucher (left) and Marine Staff Sgt. Ruben Santos treat Pvt. William Vizzerra, 21, Phoenix, Ariz., near the crest of Hill 881 N.

In May of 1967, I stumbled across a Marine battle in extreme northern South Vietnam. Word of this battle had not yet reached Saigon but I knew something big was afoot because the Marines were throwing up every obstacle they could to keep me away.

A French woman photographer, the late Cathy LeRoy, and I were the only civilians to cover the fight. We were present on the final afternoon when the last summit of the cluster of hills -- Hill 661 and Hill 881S and Hill 881N -- was finally taken.

While I shot in black and white most of the time, this battle I shot in color, which was not as marketable in those days. As it turns out, with 550 Marines killed or wounded, it was, up to that point, the bloodiest battle of the Vietnam War.

You can see a portfolio of the photographs from this battle at www.Vietnamphotography.com.